Israeli Troops Intercept Global Sumud Flotilla Off Cyprus, Halting Gaza Blockade Breach Attempt

Israeli troops intercepted an activist flotilla in international waters off Cyprus on Monday, halting the Global Sumud Flotilla’s latest attempt to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

The Associated Press reported that more than 50 vessels departed from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, last week and that the livestream showed activists putting on life jackets and raising their hands as a boat carrying Israeli troops approached before the livestream abruptly ended.

Al Jazeera

By Monday evening, Global Sumud Flotilla’s tracker said at least 31 boats were intercepted in the operation, with the interceptions occurring well outside Cypriot territorial waters that stretch 22 kilometers from the island’s coastline.

The AP said the Cypriot national center responsible for search and rescue operations reported it had not received any distress calls from the area, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides said Israel did not inform Cypriot authorities of its intention to intercept the flotilla.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry called on activists to “change course and turn back immediately,” framing the effort as “a provocation for the sake of provocation” with “no humanitarian aid.”

The flotilla’s organizers and activists condemned the interception as a “full-fledged crime of piracy,” while Turkey echoed the accusation and called on Israel to immediately halt its operation and release the flotilla participants.

Al Jazeera reported that the Global Sumud Flotilla wrote on social media, “Global Sumud Flotilla is under attack!” and said “Military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet and IOF forces are currently boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight.”

Al Jazeera

The BBC said Labour Minister Tahmina Akhter told reporters the government would launch an immediate investigation and “We will hold the owners fully accountable,” but in this flotilla case the BBC coverage instead focused on Israeli boarding and the claim that the main exit was locked when the fire broke out.

In Ireland, RTE.ie reported Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemned the interception of boats in the Sumud flotilla in international waters and called for “their immediate release,” adding that “Such interceptions and detentions are wholly unacceptable and must stop.”

RTE.ie also quoted Dr Margaret Connolly saying, “If you are watching this video, it means I have been kidnapped from my boat in the flotilla by the Israeli occupying forces, and I'm now being held illegally in an Israeli prison.”

The AP said organizers expected the activists to be taken to the port of Ashdod, in southern Israel, and noted that activists on previous flotillas were processed and immediately deported while others were detained before they were deported.

The Times of Israel reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the commander of the Israeli Navy force that they managed to stop the ships with “much less noise than the organizers intended,” and said, “You are doing it with great success.”

The AP also said Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani had repeatedly asked the Israeli government for assurances regarding the safety and well-being of detained Italian activists aboard the flotilla, while Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry urged Israel to release all the detained activists and confirmed two of its nationals were aboard the flotilla.

In parallel, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said he had summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires in Madrid on Monday over what he called “a new violation of international law barely 15 days after the previous interception,” and estimated there were around 45 Spanish nationals in the flotilla.

Al Jazeera added that the flotilla’s legal team co-leader Bader al-Noaimi said the vessels were in international waters when the interceptions began and accused Israel of targeting a “peaceful humanitarian flotilla,” while also claiming the ships were within Cyprus’s search and rescue zone and that distress calls began about 07:20 GMT.